[Computerbank] the support curse

[Julien Goodwin]

I totally agree, I am not a support person, I am a systems & networks admin.
However give me an obscure problem and I'll sit there for three hours
(days... weeks has happened) trying to figure it out.
What we need is something like a support database, so support people can
look in there when they get a call, and add the solution if it's not there.
And then the real techs can go through these solutions and clean them up, or
perhaps create scripts to manage issues if it's a major one.

Julien,
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce McCubbery" <brucemcc at melbpc.org.au>
To: <computerbank at lists.linux.org.au>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Computerbank] the support curse


>
> About the COST of it..
>
> There's the money cost
> and the people cost.
>
> How much does it currently cost in $$$ terms, has anyone any idea of some
> figures we might consider? How might we quantify this, averaging the money
> cost over the number of clients with computers?
>
> Many people hate doing support work.
> Only those OK with doing it, even liking it, should do it.
> The numbers able to do it must be increased a lot by finding new people
> with the ability and appropriate demeanour.
>
> People currently doing support work might often be better placed elsewhere
> in Computerbank.
> There is a hidden cost in misplacing our volunteer workers.
>
> Organisation will solve us getting sufficient helpers suited for this
> support role -- and asking for these sort of people to volunteer on the
> upcoming weekly radio segment.
>
> The cost in dollar terms needs to be clearly identified and spelled out
> fully before we can really fix that area. Limiting the money cost of
> telephone calls is one thing but that must always be balanced against our
> need for the computers we issue out to be well understood and used. This
is
> not a question to avoid examining but one to consider and resolve
according
> to that necessary balance, satisfactorily.
>
> Such matters of efficiency are best done by those with experience of doing
> it elsewhere.
>
> BP had volunteers who were going to work for us *and we were going to be
> paid $50 for every hour one did. Yes, that's right, they were going to not
> only work for us for free but every hour one did, Computerbank got $50!
> UNBELIEVABLE
>
> Why did I mention that now, here? The BP people have numerous
> non-computer-refurbishing skilled people we have never tapped into, ones
> like efficiency experts, for instance.
>
> And cost accountants..
>
> Bruce
>
> At 02:06 9/01/02 +1100, Bruce McCubbery wrote:
> >Thank you for raising this issue on here, Pen. I don't think it's
> >unsolvable at all, far from it.
> >The thing is: whatever answer(s) we come up with it can be geared to
> >helping everyone Australia-wide if it is mostly Web and email and
document
> >based.
> >I'm a strong believer in many minds working together on a common problem
> >being able to solve almost anything.
> >Actually, although I called this thread "the support curse" I see it has
> >several advantages.
> >More later on that but..
> >I've suggested (perhaps it was on 'wide?) that Computerbank (all of us)
> >establish what seems to be needed to add to the current three tiers of
> >Linux lists. People are saying two connected things:
> >1. There's a need to separate away from irritating everyone else the
> >repetitious "idiot" level questions.
> >2. There's a need to make sure people ask all of their questions until
> >everything is working happily, both them and their computer.
>
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>